The present invention relates generally to devices for mounting televisions and other appliances to structures, and more particularly, relates to an assembly which absorbs vibrations and forces imparted to such structures to prevent them from being transferred to the mounting devices.
Televisions and other electrical appliances are often mounted to walls and ceilings in various buildings by way of mounting devices. These appliances are commonly mounted to a structure by way of an arm which extends down from a mount on a wall or ceiling. When the appliance is in place, the entire mounting assembly often may act as an extension of the structure. If the structure is subjected to vibrations or to dynamic loading, the structure will transmit the vibrations or loading to the mounting assembly.
The appliance mounting assemblies of the prior art are usually either rigidly or rotatably attached to the building structure. In the instance of a rigid attachment, the appliance and mounting assembly will directly receive the vibrations and forces imparted to the building. For instances of rotatable attachment, the mounting assembly may not receive all of the vibration and forces due to dynamic loading because of the mounting assembly's ability to rotate within a mounting bracket, but nevertheless the rotating member may then independently itself move in response to the vibration and forces. This independent movement may jeopardize the integrity of the mounting assembly to the structure and causes the mounting assembly to disassociate itself from the structure and fall away from the structure. This calamity may occur-when the mounting assembly arm breaks the mounting bracket in a manner not foreseen. Apart from the obvious damages that this separation may force to the appliance, in structures where the appliance is mounted over head, this dissociation will present a hazard to individuals that may be positioned underneath the appliance and mounting assembly.
Vibrations and dynamic loading which cause these problems may be caused in a number of ways. The most obvious example of dynamic loading to a structure is that of an earthquake. In industrial settings, in which perhaps television monitors are mounted overhead throughout a building for security purposes as in a warehouse or other plant facility, vehicles such as forklifts or cranes may collide with certain structural or components of the building such as support columns. Where the column supports a roof truss member, the impact may also produce dynamic force that travel through the truss to which the appliance and mounting assembly. Lastly, the mounting assembly may itself receive a direct impact such as from a collision with a vehicle as described above which although may not be enough of an impact to damage the mounting assembly or appliance, it may move of the mounting assembly in a manner and magnitude to separate the mounting assembly from the structure and cause damage.
The present invention is directed to an appliance mounting assembly which presents a solution to the aforementioned problems. In doing so, it utilizes a minimum number of parts to effectively isolate the mounting assembly and the appliance supported thereon from the structure and to absorb, or dampen, to the extent possible, forces imparted to the mounting assembly, whether those forces begin in the structure or in the mounting assembly. In this regard, the present invention effectively supports the appliance while uncoupling the mounting assembly from the building structure in the force transfer sense.
In a mounting assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention, a mounting arm, or carrier member, holds a support tray upon which is mounted an appliance such as a television receiver. The arm extends down from a mounting bracket affixed to the structure. A damping member is interposed between the mounting bracket and the arm to dampen vibrations which may occur in the building and to absorbs forces which may be imparted to the building and to reduce the amount of force which may be transferred from either the building to the mounting arm and appliance or from the mounting arm and appliance to the structure.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved mounting assembly for an electrical appliance, such as a television monitor or the like, which includes a force absorbing interface disposed between the appliance and the mounting surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly for television receivers or other electrical appliances having an arm which extends from a mounting bracket which interconnects the appliance to a structure, the mounting assembly including load absorbing means disposed between the arm and the mounting bracket for absorbing vibrations and forces imparted to the structure or appliance, the load absorbing means including a flexible, resilient member.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a kit of parts for use in converting an existing appliance mounting assembly into one which has improved vibration and force absorption characteristics, in which the kit of parts includes an elastic interfacial member and two attachment members, the interfacial member being held between the attachment members on opposing sides thereof, the attachment members including means for attachment to a mounting bracket and mounting arm, respectively.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly for a television, monitor or other large appliance in which the mounting assembly supports the appliance from a structural element of a building by way of a support member, the mounting assembly including a force absorbing interface disposed between the building structure element in the appliance support member, the interface including a force absorbing member incorporating any of an elastomeric member, one or more springs or a hydraulic damping member which absorbs forces imparted to the building structure and which permits an increase in the articulation of the appliance with respect to the mounting surface of the building structure element without overloading or overstressing the amounting bracket.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings therein like reference numerals refer to like parts.